Everyday Alchemy is the process of transforming an everyday object, story or experience into something extraordinary with seemingly little effort, as if magically.

Welcome to the Everyday Alchemy free-flowing journal space. This is where my creative spirit reaches out to yours. Here, I talk about my heart wanderings, creative processes & encounters, insights, imaginings, and observations. I share ideas that have come through me but are meant for you to take hold of and fly. My calling is to ignite, liberate & connect the creative spirit in all of us: Everyday Alchemy is where our journey together begins...

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I would like to acknowledge the Wangal people of the Eora language speaking group who are the traditional custodians of this land on which I was born (known as Sydney) and where I currently work and live. I pay respect to Tribal Elders past, present and emerging. I recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community and extend deep gratitude for sharing their knowledge and wisdom with me through bushwalking, storytelling, art, and music. I celebrate their continuing culture everyday.

I would also like to acknowledge, extend my deepest gratitude and pay respect to Tribal Elders past, present and emerging of the Carigal people of the Kuringai language group where I spent my childhood (known commonly as the Northern Beaches, West Head and Hawkesbury River).

I've been blogging for over ten years! If you'd like to read my earlier posts, please click on my archive link below:

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"Pia is a magic worker. Very early on in the process of imagining my book 'Freedom Seeker', she teased out the concept that had been swimming around in my head, and gave form to my ideas. She has a very particular kind of creative genius which brings a real depth and humanity to her own projects, and somehow - goodness knows how - she breathes that into your work too."

I'm now opening my private artist's retreat for weekend stays. This unique space is ideal for a creatively-minded single or a couple wanting an artist's retreat experience, holiday, or short term business trip. It's a beautiful sun-filled one bedroom apartment close to the bay in the heart of Balmain. In a secluded location surrounded by palm trees, it is a minute walk to the ferry to get into the city or Cockatoo Island, and a minute to Darling St: the main shopping street full of wonderful boutiques, bars, art galleries and restaurants. For more photographs & information, please click here.

Over the last seven months, I've been disassembling personal obstacles like there is no tomorrow. So much has come to the surface for me over this time, huge emotional hurdles that I had NO idea were there. In this time I've learnt things about myself, things that I thought I'd let go of long long ago but instead they'd been very well hidden and remained embedded within. Turns out I'd built incredibly elaborate cave-like structures to keep them out of everyday sight. Caves that, over time, became well obscured by thick tangled vines. As I was contentedly walking along my jungle path, I began to notice these thick vines that seemed to grow more dense as I wandered on. I didn't order this! I said to my heart. I cut them back but they grew thicker the more I walked on. Heart, I called out, WT-EFF, this isn't right! Is this my path? It must be someone else's. What is this bullshit, am I lost? I don't want to be here anymore!

Me, climbing a ginormous rock on the edge of the Hawkesbury River, photo by Elemental Explorer & creative collaborator Midnight Blue, January 2018.

The more I stalked on, pushing through and slashing through the vines, the more tired I became. Everything in my life felt like it was falling apart. I felt overwhelmed, I couldn't breathe. My inner warrior was losing all its strength.

What's the difference between defeat and surrender? I wondered. What's the difference between surrender and acceptance? I pondered. I had no energy left to do anything but sit and look around.

And that's when I noticed the caves.

They were beautiful spaces - but of course, I'd make them so! Which made me laugh at myself. Because now I've learnt creating such visual wonder can be a great way of masking one's truth.

As I regained my energy bit by bit, one by one I entered each cave. I looked at what I'd kept hidden all these years. It's unbelievable fascinating, to say the very least. And I feel ready to share my findings.

I know many of us are in this collectively - we may not share the same history or experiences, but we share a heart journey, and what I feel and am able to express is a light beam you can count on to help see your way ahead.

I'm going to share my findings in lots of different ways in coming days and months - in my new work, in journal posts here, on instagram and in instagram stories (yes, I've broken through my mental block on talking to camera and I'M DOIN' IT! I may be a quiet voice among the booming ones but I'm not going to let that stop me from using what I have).

And I've been quietly working on my website this year - it's always been such a strong expression of my creativity over the years and it's exciting to be able to direct these new findings into my offerings already.

In other news, I'll be announcing two awesome collaborations! Like a child, I am jumping up and down with joy and anticipation, I want to burst out with all of it now.

Another change to my online presence is the newsletter - I'm ditching it, it was just not the right medium for me so instead, I'll be writing here in my journal, and those of you signed up via email will receive this straight to your inbox. It will mean you will hear from me more openly, with no newsletter marketing & salesy prompting. I'll just blab it all out here and you can wander through my website at your own heart's desire. There's lots to peruse now, like my old (blog)house (remember that?!!)... except now, it's a boat. And I'm ready to drop anchor.

For those who follow me on instagram, you'd know that a few weeks ago I embarked on a new, wonderful adventure, sharing with you a bare space in the midst of being transformed into my artist's retreat. It's a one bedroom apartment in the heart of Balmain: a minute walk to the ferry to get into the city, and a minute to Darling St, the main shopping street.

It's something I wasn't planning to do at all, but as happens with following my heart, things don't make sense in the moment, but I now see it was leading to this sweet abode all the while...

I had been looking at artist studio spaces over the last couple of years- spaces that were part of large artist communities, and as much as I loved the idea of sharing an artists space and being among other artists, it never felt right for me - I couldn't imagine myself in any of the spaces, no matter how much I loved them or the artists I'd be working alongside.

Then, just out of the blue, with no clear reasoning whatsoever, I got a feeling to look at some one bedroom apartments in the area. I looked at three, and this one - this one, had it. Housed in a humble 1980's white brick building, tucked away from the street, with a tiny galley kitchen and bathroom off the bedroom tiled in slate, it simply sang to me. The energy of the space is beautiful and serene and so open to creative flow. I felt the magic of it coarse through my veins and couldn't stop feeling all it will be - to me, to my work, to my new mentoring clients and their work.

So over the past couple of weeks, I've been hanging out there when I can, spending time listening, observing, and feeling, letting the ideas flow, and in the next couple of weeks I'll be shaping it into a fully immersive, multi-disciplined creative space...

Two ESSENTIALS that I had to claim for the new space from Drunk on the Moon, my go-to vintage treasure stop in Newtown: an artist's stool and an anchor. The significance of the anchor will be explained in time :)

Gathering flora (and weeds!) from around the neighbourhood, as I get to know the surrounds and bring nature in to inspire...

The space in its beginning phase.

And, with only a couple of weeks away from being ready, it's with absolute delight that I am now taking bookings for my personal artist’s hideaway in Sydney!

This is a truly unique opportunity to step into my world; into the world of My Heart Wanders.

Spend two nights fully immersed in your creative genius, with all access to my multi-disciplined space, as well as one-on-one mentoring sessions with me throughout your stay.

My mentoring clients around the world are currently writing books they never knew they could, making art they never thought they would, and most importantly they are doing so ignited by their own fire, which, through my unique approach, they’ve learnt how to feed and cherish, never wanting to let it turn to ash again.

Please note: As many of you know, I don’t muck around. Once you book your time with me, you open the doorway to your creative calling. And I need to make this clear: This is not creativity as a hobby. This is not creativity as a side project; this is creativity as your calling.

As a prolific author, photographer and visual storyteller, my work has been featured in dozens of magazines and books across the globe over the last decade. I am an artist and I’ve never been starving. Every day I make room to ripen; every day I’m in an alchemical state.

I live the creative life, the heart-led life. I am the real deal. I go against the grain. I’ve stood in front of my fears, time and time again and moved through those fears, time and time again. I am an artist, I play by my own rules. I am authentic. Passionate. And I’m living it – there is no pretence. There is no bullshit. My work is tangible. I am visible. I live my truth.

And when we work together, you & your authentic work will come through quickly and become visible too, so you need to be ready & willing: it's simply how powerful our connection is, and when you're open, it will flow.

Bookings are now open for November and December. There are limited spots, and it's by application only. UPDATE 26/11/2017: Bookings now closed for 2017. Bookings from March 2018 now open, please click here to find out more.

Two magical choices:

1. I welcome you into my artist's hideaway, and then leave you to your creative self to finish off a project you’ve urgently needed to – providing a nurturing and artistically supportive space, plus access to me when you get stuck!

2. I mentor you 1-1 during your stay in my space – this is powerful, transformative work; identifying your creative calling and showing your how to make it a reality!

There are going to be lots of wonderful, personal touches to this experience - this is not simply booking a couple of nights accomodation in Sydney, this is opening yourself to YOU. It is a transformative experience that is completely unique and exclusive...